Bengaluru: The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) announced a major advancement in its Space Docking Experiment (SpaDeX) on Sunday, revealing that two satellites successfully approached within three metres before safely retracting during a trial attempt.
In a statement on X, Isro detailed the progress: “A trial attempt to reach up to 15 metres and further to three metres has been completed. Moving back spacecraft to a safe distance. The docking process will be conducted after further data analysis.”
The SpaDeX mission, launched on December 30, aims to demonstrate in-space docking using small spacecraft. The PSLV C60 rocket carried two satellites, SDX01 (Chaser) and SDX02 (Target), along with 24 additional payloads from the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota. Approximately 15 minutes post-liftoff, the two satellites, each weighing about 220 kilograms, were successfully placed into a 475-kilometre circular orbit.
Despite missing the initial docking schedules on January 7 and January 9, ISRO remains optimistic about advancing the experiment. SpaDeX is recognised as a cost-effective technology demonstrator mission, essential for developing the complex technologies needed for future projects like the Bharatiya Antariksh Station and potential lunar astronaut landings.
A successful SpaDeX demonstration would position India as the fourth nation to master in-space docking technologies, which are crucial for missions requiring multiple rocket launches to achieve unified objectives. ISRO continues to analyze the collected data to refine the docking process and move forward with subsequent phases of the experiment.
